Two pioneer missionaries ventured out into the community from their 165-square-foot home, which doubled as a house church. The prospect of sharing Jesus filled them with joy.
One day a neighborhood couple, Mr. and Mrs. Guo,* invited the missionaries along with a small band of Adventists to worship in their home. The group gratefully accepted the offer and gathered for Bible study and church services in a room that had previously been used as a shrine—a place where the family worshiped and prayed for dead relatives.
Shortly afterward, the couple became very sick. Mr. Guo was hospitalized from a severe stroke and could no longer walk, talk, eat, or drink. The same week Mrs. Guo became feverish and very ill. Neighbors believed the gods were angry and were punishing them for allowing the Christians into their home and worshipping their God. How dare Christians who honored a “Western god” be allowed to worship in a place as sacred as a shrine room!
The pioneer team and the rest of the church family did all they could to love and care for the family. Although Mrs. Guo improved, her husband did not. The doctors sent him home to die, and with heavy hearts, the family made funeral preparations.
Taunts and jeers from the neighbors were plentiful, yet the small group of Adventists faithfully continued to worship God in the former shrine room. One Sabbath afternoon, as they earnestly prayed together for the dying man, a voice was heard from his room. Everyone scurried to his bedside. Mr. Guo was awake and alert! Miraculously, he was walking again, within a month.
This group of faith-sharing, praying believers continues to see God work miracles. With a membership of 100, they have outgrown the shrine room and are worshipping in an actual church of their own. They have even received legal permission to worship in their new church. God is blessing their commitment to sharing Jesus! Please pray for the ongoing work of proclaiming the gospel in China.
—This story was shared by a staff writer for the Chinese Union Mission.
* Names have been changed to protect the identity of believers
